Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
Bright Hill Road
North, Singapore
13 May 2014
Vesak Day is the most significant day of the year in the Buddhist calendar and is celebrated by Buddhists the world over. The day commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha and is a day of immense joy, peace and reflection. In Singapore, Vesak Day usually falls in the month of May, on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar.
On this day, devout Buddhists and followers alike congregate at their various temples before dawn for the ceremonial, where the Buddhist flag will be hoisted, and hymns sung in praise of the holy triple gem: The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings), and The Sangha (his disciples). Devotees often bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their spiritual teacher. These symbolic offerings remind followers that life too, is subject to decay and destruction when the offering burns out or wilts away.
Buddhists believe that performing good deeds on Vesak Day will multiply merit many times over. Buddhist youth sometimes organise mass blood donations at hospitals, while general rites and rituals practiced on Vesak Day include chanting of mantras; releasing of caged birds and animals; having vegetarian meals; and "bathing" a Buddha statue, a reference to the legend of the child Buddha being showered with the waters of nine dragons soon after birth. These acts of generosity observed by the Buddhist temples are also known as Dana.
Arriving there was a nightmare - a sweltering hot day with traffic jamming the single-lane road,
cars parked on both sides of the road, and buses packed with commuters...
Lanterns with meaningful morals dot the premises - "Gratitude to Planet Earth"...
... & "Gratitude to Our Country"...
There is something soothing about birds stopping by a garden oasis
and drinking from the water peacefully...
Following its pro-environment stance, organic vegetables are planted within the temple premises...
The visually-stunning lanterns add a festive mood
to the grand architecture within the temple grounds...
Here a man stops in awe to admire the intricate porcelain roof carvings...
The impressive temple grounds...
Vendors and volunteers selling religious items and food...
In the Dining Hall, the monks are accorded their privacy
from the crowds with a segregated dining area...
Volunteers and staff help to prepare and serve food to the hundreds of devotees and visitors...
Outside the Dining Hall, there were even furry mascots to keep the children entertained...
Aunties resting in the shade of the beautiful wall murals...
and enjoying the complimentary ice cream...
An uncle selling cactus parts for $3-5 each,
with a foreign worker curiously asking about the benefits of each "herb"...
Hall of 10,000 lanterns...
Merlion Wayfarer wishes all a Happy Vesak Day...
